To never buy snacks/squash/sweets etc again

[Fiera]

Every single time there is somthing remotely snackly in the house it just gets taken and eaten. The large double concentrate bottles of squash gone within 24 hours, any kind of sugary cerial gone the same day they come through the door.
I dont like to use the word 'steal' but tonight its the only word i can use because my daughter actually STOLE my can of coke.
We never usually buy coke or Fizzy anything, nut it was my eldest sons birthday and all the children had a can as a very rare treat. My daughter actualli hid my can up her sleeve (after having drank hers earlier in the evening) and went and drank it in her bedroom.
Even my toddler daughters 'treats' like 'GoGo' biscuits and 'Goodies' puffs just disapear before she even knows theyre there.
We have a full fruit bowl, two actually, every day and even they get emptied. They have hot meals every day so theyre not 'hungry' just greedy.
I just dont understand why they do it and im seriously considering just not buying again.
My toddler will happily drink water (theres hardly ever any squash left for her anyway)

X-post with Tawny!

When we moved in together as a blended family we gave everyone a drawer which would be for their own snacks and then there is a basket for crisps or biscuits that anyone can eat. This was to try and stop those with less self controll eating more than their fair share.
I think it is just personality that means you can have control over what you eat rather than if food is rationed or a treat.
Nothing is rationed in this house but I know that some will eat more than others and 1 is still sneaky and lies about what they have had when there is no need.
The lying frustrates me the most as there's no need to do it but sadly I think they are just a natural liar for no reason as it extends to other things as well as food.

And for all the ‘healthy eating’ knowledge people spout on other threads it really goes to show where many people’s heads are really at

Or they are different people .

Locking or hiding food away is bonkers. You can't steal food from your own cupboards.

Tawny, that’s possible but I really think most people know the narrative and can rehash it but when it comes to actually feeding their family they don’t follow through.

They arent the kids cupboards.

Locking or hiding food away is bonkers. You can't steal food from your own cupboards

But if you don't lock or hide the food, how do you deal with one person eating more than their fair share? Many households will have people who can take or leave the treats and eat them in their own time, with others who binge on whatever is available. There could be 2 or 20 packs of crisps or cans of pop, and they'll consume them all regardless.

For money and health reasons, it's not always a case of 'just buy more' as you find yourself trying to fill a bottomless pit of a snack eater while the person who eats moderately still doesn't get a look in.

It should be perfectly normal to only have water as a drink. To have fruit and veg for snacks - or even no snacks at all but eat decent meals.

They are the kids cupboards. They live here too. Nobody in our house eats more than their fair share because food isnt a big deal in our house and besides there is enough food for everyone.

Good for you. Other people with different opinions exist though.

30 servings divided among 4 children equals 7.5 servings each. Especially when it's been warmer weather isn't excessive imo - plus it's actually less as op and dad probably had some too.

Also most squash is sugar free now. Squash with sugar in is usually premium range and priced accordingly - think op would have said if that were the case.

Regarding "need" no, nobody "needs" less healthy food but all of us like it, in the uk it's relatively easily and cheaply available (for now) and these children will eventually be able to buy it for themselves, indeed most teens have money to do so. As I said in previous post, I've seen SO many times parents not allowing children unhealthy snacks or treats or VERY rarely (like birthdays, Christmas and weddings only) and the majority of those children have gone on to have a deeply unhealthy attitude to these foods. Makes far more sense to teach "OK in moderation" rather than turn them into craved "forbidden fruit".

However I've certainly met parents who CLAIM their DC "don't like" any junk food - I've then socialised with these children as adults or hosted them or taken them places or dd has told me about their eating habits when parents not about - doesn't bear out in most cases.

Have to agree with MissCharley too re fruit not satisfying genuine hunger which again as in previous post (I'm actually wondering if it's invisible and I'm not the only person that said this either - but the trying to appear virtuous posters are ignoring) TEENS NEED MORE CALORIES the reason fruit is seen as a good snack normally is because it's low cal. So they may well have fruit (my dd loves her fruit it was fruit I'd bought for ME she 'nicked') but STILL be hungry.

Those saying "they aren't allowed to just help themselves" how old are your DC? Primary age I can understand you still being in the process of teaching them good habits, but by teens especially late teens they should be self regulating to at least SOME degree (plus again - teens need more fuel).

I also find it interesting that the obesity crisis is happening now when people are far more critical of food than ever before. Can't possibly be to do with the reduction in hours spent on PE in school, lack of cooking skills, hell even not letting teens cook, fewer safe open spaces for children to play... But yea it's ONLY down to squash and crisps in the house 🙄

Totally agree that if you aren’t brought up on junk you won’t buy or eat as an adult. Children need plenty of good food to grow, not crap. I don’t even buy juice because my parents didn’t when I was growing up. Food shouldn’t be restricted but junk most definitely should be.

Hide them away. Find a place they won’t find to stash the ‘treats’ in. This is what I have started doing because otherwise I would leave the room for five minutes and return to find my DC munching through an entire pack of biscuits. Let them have one biscuit/pack of crisps each then hide them.

@inchoccyheaven

1 is still sneaky and lies about what they have had when there is no need. The lying frustrates me the most as there's no need to do it but sadly I think they are just a natural liar for no reason as it extends to other things as well as food.
Gosh, I wonder if by any strange chance the liar is your DPs child, not yours?

Your teenage daughter hid your treat can of Coke up her sleeve do she could have it?

Quite honestly OP your problems are bigger than your kids nicking food when you ask them not to (although demonstrates their lack of respect for you)

The fact that it is was a test for you, and your daughter knew that, and was really quite sneaky about “stealing” it from her mother really shows how little she gives a damn about you.

Somewhere along the line, your relationships with your older children has become somewhat negative

a treat for you

Ah it’s hard. I think it’s also easy to think others give their kids snacks all the time but there are plenty of people like me so if we meet out then yes there’ll be cake or biscuits or juice etc but I don’t buy any of that for home.

At home we have fruit, crumpets and toast with cheese or ham if wanted or jam or peanut butter. Drinks are water and milk.

I was a kid who had snacks on tap growing up and only ever drank squash. I’ve got such a sweet tooth as eating that stuff daily makes you want/need it more. It reinforces itself. I learnt to like water as an adult and now I do so I recognise that feeling of not liking the taste of water.

My family have a highly emotional relationship with food. I’m trying to break that, at least a little, for my kids. So they have what they like when we go out but at home there’s choice but it’s nice rather than really luxury/treaty/give me more.

They will stop eating when full (I don’t!) and will naturally pace treats (I don’t!) so hopefully it’s doing some good.

Only time will tell. I’m hoping they experience food as nice but not a be all and end all (unlike me!) and with no forbidden fruit. I have a weird thing - common in my family - about getting my fair share/trying everything which isn’t helpful. Hopefully they’ll be more relaxed with food.

So, I have no advice! But if it costs too much you’re going to have to lock it away and hand it out or stop buying.

Good luck!

My teen gets in before me and has been known to inhale multipacks of twixes/penguins, etc.
Annoying as I’ve got 3 younger DCs and I get a big shop delivered fortnightly.
The treat cupboard used to be empty in 3 days and no one else would have a thing.

Turned out to be laziness, I now have a special bit of the fridge for healthy snacks ( carrots/cucumber/tomato/cheese/hummus/leftovers etc)
Still eats loads but is off the diabetes highway at last and the rest of us occasionally get chocolate and crisps again.
His skin looks much better too.

@graphista teens do get hungry a lot from all the growing they do and raging hormones, but that doesn’t mean they need high calorie snacks like crisps and chocolate at their disposal. Something like brown toast with peanut butter would provide them with carbs for energy and protein and fats to keep them fuller for longer. A banana is going to give more energy than a few biscuits too.
That being said - I was completely banned from eating any junk food when I was growing up and I ended up having issues when I left home at 18 and binging on chocolate all day long. I think it’s important to have a balance and to provide healthy snacks and meals 80% of the time and allow some not so healthy choices the rest of the time. I used to be so jealous when I was younger going to a friend’s house and seeing all the sweet stuff they were allowed to eat.
OP - maybe just buy a minimal amount of the crisps etc and tell them they have to make it last. And then have some healthier filling snacks available like toast, fruit, veg, porridge and low sugar cereals

Banalarama

I grew up with drawers of crisps biscuits junk

My mother cooked very well and we ate a fab selection of veg and fruit but we also had relaxed acces to treats

My siblings and I are very very slim (I’m underweight) and very fit (work out 6x a week. I’m just back from a 14k trail run) and my diet is 90% veg fruit and nuts. My siblings also very healthy

The key is attitude and approach towards these kinds of foods rathe than whether they are around you

Totally agree that if you aren’t brought up on junk you won’t buy or eat as an adult

Its clearly bollocks though, isn't it?

30 servings divided among 4 children equals 7.5 servings each. Especially when it's been warmer weather isn't excessive imo - plus it's actually less as op and dad probably had some too.

7.5 servings EACH in a day isn't excessive? . What would be excessive?

If they're eating whole packs of biscuits after a main meal, something isn't right!

No way my son or daughter would ever seen the need to do that. Not because they're angels, but they would be full enough after a meal not to need/want it. Maybe one small crisp pack from a 6 pack bag or a biscuit but not the whole pack or multiple packs of crisps!

Totally agree that if you aren’t brought up on junk you won’t buy or eat as an adult.

I don't think that's true at all. My parents have always been healthy and we never had junk or fizzy drinks in the house, save for appletise on special occasions. As soon as I could buy my own, I bought fizzy drinks. Most of my pocket money went on Diet Coke and chocolate for a few years as a teenager as I never had access to it otherwise.

I'm healthy now and I only have a couple of cans of fizzy a week, but I definitely buy plenty of things in my weekly shop that I never had as a child!

@adaline I’m the same - I was never allowed things like chocolate or takeaways when I was growing up and my mum was incredibly strict about it. When I left home I gained about 4 stone as I suddenly had the freedom (and money from working) to buy these things.
I think that’s why it’s important to teach children the importance of healthy eating, but to also allow a bit of flexibility and not completely ban things. It just makes then seem even more desirable when you can’t ever have them